Vestergaard's forest toad facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Vestergaard's forest toad |
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The Vestergaard's forest toad (scientific name: Nectophrynoides vestergaardi) is a special kind of toad. It belongs to the Bufonidae family, which includes many different toads. This toad is found only in one place: the West Usambara Mountains in Tanzania, Africa. This means it is endemic to that area. It was named after Martin Vestergaard, a Danish scientist who first realized this toad was a new species.
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What Does It Look Like?
Adult male Vestergaard's forest toads are about 19–22 mm (0.7–0.9 in) long. Female toads are a bit bigger, measuring about 21–26 mm (0.8–1.0 in) from their snout to their tailbone. They have a short snout and thin legs.
Special Body Parts
- They have a clear eardrum, called a tympanum.
- They also have special glands behind their eyes, called parotoid glands. These look like raised ridges.
- Their fingers and toes have rounded tips.
- They have a little bit of webbing between their fingers and toes.
Color and Markings
When preserved, these toads are light brown on their backs. Their sides are noticeably darker. Many of them have a thin, dark line running down the middle of their back, from their snout to their tailbone. Their belly is a pale cream color and looks a bit see-through.
How They Reproduce
Scientists believe that the Vestergaard's forest toad is ovoviviparous. This is a special way of having babies. It means the mother carries the eggs inside her body until they hatch. The young toads then develop inside her, feeding on the yolk from their eggs. When they are ready, they are born live, looking like tiny toads. This is different from most toads, which lay their eggs in water.
Where They Live and How We Protect Them
The Vestergaard's forest toad lives in montane forests, which are forests found in mountains. They also live in areas where these forests meet ericaceous plants, like heather. These toads live on the ground, so they are called terrestrial animals.
Protecting Their Home
Even though these toads can be found in good numbers in some places, their homes are shrinking. This is because of:
- Farms taking over land.
- Trees being cut down for wood.
- More human settlements being built.
The good news is that these toads live in several forest reserves. However, these reserves need even more protection to keep the Vestergaard's forest toad safe for the future.
